Schwartzman Reflects On Standing Ovation At Roland Garros

Diego Schwartzman may have lost his third round match to Novak Djokovic on Friday at Roland Garros, but he won plenty of new fans with his inspired play and fighting spirit.

Shortly after Djokovic prevailed in their five-set tussle, both the Serbian and Court Philippe-Chatrier crowd rose to their feet to give Schwartzman a standing ovation for his effort. It was a first-time experience for Schwartzman, who said he’ll take it with him for the rest of his life.

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— Tennis Channel (@TennisChannel) June 2, 2017

“It took me a while to notice because I was packing my stuff. I could see that everyone was clapping, and that Djoko was clapping and looking my way. Then finally I understood and I thought, ‘Okay, get your kit in the bag and try to enjoy the moment.’ It’s a truly extraordinary thing,” said Schwartzman. “I think people who haven’t experienced it directly cannot even imagine how wonderful it is. It’s going to be a great memory.

“I just want to say thank you to all of them,” he added. “It was really nice to receive that noise from the people. It’s amazing for me.”

Djokovic was also full of praise for Schwartzman after the match and acknowledged that the Argentine had him on the ropes for much of the contest.

“He definitely deserved the applause he got at the end of the match, because he was fighting, He was playing really well,” said Djokovic. “He was probably the better player for the first three sets.”

Schwartzman has been in fine form on clay this season. He reached the semi-finals last month in Istanbul and recorded back-to-back quarter-final finishes this February in Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo. Schwartzman also defeated Alexander Zverev en route to his first ATP World Tour Masters 1000 quarter-final this April in Monte-Carlo. He currently sits at No. 41 in the Emirates ATP Rankings, just seven spots off his career-best ranking achieved in April.

Despite the loss, Schwartzman can take solace in reaching the third round at a Grand Slam for the first time in his career. But if he continues to play at this level, it’s safe to say it won’t be his last.

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